Dreadnoks Rule
by JP McClendon
Summary: Finally Finished! Cobra Commander hires Zartan and the Dreadnoks for a little job. Chapter 8 and Epilogue up. Most Chapters short on purpose. Please R
1. Dreadnoks Rule

**Author's Note: **This is a work of fanfiction. I don't own the rights to any of the characters, I don't claim to own the rights to any of the characters, and I am not making a profit from this story. Have a nice day!

**On a more serious note: **This story is dedicated to the memory of Chris Latta, better known as the voice of Cobra Commander.

**Dreadnoks Rule**

"The fee for this job, Cobra Commander, shall be three million dollars," Zartan said to the image of Cobra Commander on the communications screen. Cobra Commander got visibly annoyed at the mercenary and master of disguise.

"Three million dollars!" Cobra Commander shouted and shaking his fist at Zartan. "That's outrageous! I could use Firefly and pay a tenth of the price you are asking!"

"Then why don't you?" said Zartan in an amused tone.

Cobra Commander threw up his hands in an exasperated manner. "Fine, you shall have your three million dollars!"

"In advance," Zartan added. "And we reserve the right to make things…messy."

Cobra Commander let out a scream of hate for the master of disguise and terminated the connection.

"I so love pushing that asshole's buttons," Zartan chuckled as he turned his terminal off. "Dreadnoks! Assemble for a meeting!"

Torch, Buzzer, and Ripper looked up from their poker games. "Wha? Now?" whined Buzzer. "I gots me a full 'ouse!" Ripper and Torch looked at one another for a moment then folded.

Monkeywrench and Thrasher looked up from under the hood of the Thunder Machine. "AY, Zartan!" said Thrasher. "Piss off, I'm fixing the Thunder Machine!"

Zartan got an annoyed look on his face and pulled his pistol. Without any hesitation, he shot the engine of the Thunder Machine. Monkeywrench straightened up so abruptly that he banged his head on the hood. "Oh, bloody hell!" he said holding his injured skull.

"Oy! What was that for?" demanded Thrasher.

"Then you best listen next time," said Zartan cruelly. "Next time, I might not miss."

"Miss?" said Thrasher.

Zandar faded in from the darkness behind his brother. "Gnawgahyde is off hunting dinner, Brother," he said. "Zarana and Zanzibar are in town getting supplies."

"Terrific," said the master of disguise. "What else is going to go wrong?"

As if on cue, Thrasher shouted something unintelligible and dove for the ground. Zartan looked briefly and then dove back inside his hut as the Mini-guns on the Thunder Machine went wild and shot up the camp.

**To be continued…**


	2. The Job

**The Job**

The Thunder Machine finally ran out of ammunition and everyone looked up to see if the coast was clear. Zartan emerged from what was left of the hut with his pistol drawn. His chest plate burned a bright white. Monkeywrench and Thrasher were looking inside the Thunder Machine. Zartan took aim with his pistol and shot Thrasher in the leg. Thrasher collapsed to the ground holding his leg and screaming bloody murder.

"OW!" Thrasher yelled. "Son of a bitch! You fucking shot me! You fucking shot me!"

"I told you the next time I wouldn't miss," hissed Zartan. Monkeywrench quietly made himself inconspicuous and moved away.

Gnawgahyde walked into camp with a dead alligator across his shoulders. "I miss something?" he asked.

Elsewhere, Zanya and Road Pig were in a diner eating when Zanya's beeper went off. She looked at who had paged her and saw the 911 message. "Father is summoning us," she said to the large Dreadnok. Road Pig looked at her and grunted his acknowledgement. Without further word, the two of them got up from their seats and walked out the door without paying their tab. The waitress noticed them leaving and ran outside to stop them. "Hey, you forgot to pay!" she said.

"No we didn't," said Zanya. "We just decided not to."

The waitress moved over to confront them. "You two have to pay your check," she said to the two of them. "Otherwise, I'm going to call the cops!" Zanya gave Road Pig a sideways glance of boredom and Road Pig nodded his head silently. Without any thought, he grabbed the unsuspecting woman by the face and lifted her off the ground. Then he snapped her neck and dropped her to the ground without changing the expression on his face. Zanya still looked bored.

"Next time, don't piss me off," she said to the waitress's corpse. Zanya then snapped her fingers and she and Road Pig went over to their motorcycles, climbed aboard, and rode off. That was fun, Zanya thought to herself.

* * *

"And that's the plan?" asked Buzzer.

"Yes, that's the plan, you idiot!" said Zartan. "If you don't like it, then you don't have to go, and I won't have to give you a cut of the money."

"No, I like the plan," said Buzzer. "Really, I do."

"What about the rest of you?" asked Zartan. "Zandar?"

"It really looks complicated, brother," Zandar replied. "It will require cunning and intellect."

"Yeah," said Ripper. "What he said."

Torch, Monkeywrench, and Thrasher were talking amongst themselves. "Doable," said Torch. "But it'll require a lot of time."

"Oy," said Thrasher. "How much time?"

"A day to prep, a day to test," said Torch. "Minimum."

"Too long," said Monkeywrench. "One day. That's all we've got."

"Then we best get to work," said Torch.

"What are you all up to?" asked Zartan.

"We're thinking of playing with fire," Torch said with a smile.

**To be continued…**


	3. Preparations

**Preparations**

Torch, Monkeywrench, and Thrasher got to work on the Thunder Machine while Buzzer and Ripper began checking over their motorcycles. Gnawgahyde began to skin and clean the alligator for dinner. Zartan and Zandar moved back inside the hut to hammer out details in private. Zartan laid out a set of blueprints on the table and the both of them stood over the table studying what they saw in the blueprints. Zandar's eyes moved over the layout of the building and then he smiled. "This is the way in," he said pointing to a small access shaft.

Zartan looked at his brother. "Be sure," he said.

Zandar nodded his head and walked out of the hut. He went right through the center of camp and disappeared into the swamp. No one saw him go.

* * *

Zanya and Road Pig met up with Zarana and Zanzibar in town. Zarana gave her niece a rather exasperated look. "What?" asked Zanya innocently.

"I heard on the scanner that the police are looking for the two of you for killing that waitress," said Zarana. "What were you two thinking?"

Zanya just shrugged and helped Road Pig and Zanzibar load up the cargo sled they were using. Zarana rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner and went back in the store to get more supplies.

* * *

Zartan began forming the plan for the job in his mind. He was already certain that Zandar had been correct about the entry point, and was basing his primary plan around that. His secondary plan, if he had to use it, would be a lot noisier and a lot messier than his primary plan. He smiled at the realization that he almost hoped he would have to use the secondary plan.

* * *

Zandar returned from his scouting expedition two days later. Zartan looked at him expectantly to see what the results were. Zandar just simply nodded his head to his brother and went inside the hut to go to sleep. Zartan smiled. "We're ready," he said to the others.

**To be continued…**


	4. Fun, Fun, Fun

**Fun, Fun, Fun**

Three days later, Zanya and Zartan were standing across from the Federal Technology Corporation building. "Are you ready?" the master of disguise asked his daughter.

"Of course," said Zanya casually, almost arrogantly.

"Very well," said Zartan. "Then I will follow your lead."

Zanya smiled and began to casually walk across the street towards the Federal Technology Center building, right through oncoming traffic. Zartan just watched and chuckled to himself. Casually he reached down to turn on his headset. "Everyone set?" he asked.

"Set," said Zandar from the corner inside the lobby of the FTC lobby.

"Set," said Zarana from her chair at the security station down the hall in the South Wing.

"Set," said Gnawgahyde from across the street in his sniper's position.

"Set," Monkeywrench said from the passenger seat of the Thunder Machine as he grinned at Thrasher.

Road Pig looked back into the trailer of the rig he was driving to see Zanzibar and all the others give him the thumbs up sign. "We all set here," he said.

"Good," said Zartan. "Zanya, you're on."

"Yes, father," said Zanya in a semi-sweet voice. She let out a calm breath and walked in. "Ladies and gentlemen, run for your lives." In the very next instant she drew her two pistols from their holsters and shot the two receptionists at the customer service desk in the face. People began running about wildly. The two other security guards with Zarana got up to intervene but were shot in the back. Zandar spotted another security guard one floor up on the balcony. Quickly, he stepped into view and aimed his weapon. Just as the guard took aim at Zanya, Zandar let loose an arrow and shot the guard through the heart. The guard clutched at the wound in his chest for an instant and then fell forward over the balcony. Zanya looked at her uncle and winked. Then she turned around to see if anyone else needing to be shot was left. Seeing none, she walked over with Zandar to the main reception desk. Zarana moved away to get out of her uniform and back into her regular clothes.

"We're ready for you, brother," said Zandar.

"Impressive," said Zartan. He smiled at his family's efficiency and, like his daughter before him, crossed the street right in front of oncoming traffic. "Road Pig."

"Yes, Zartan?" asked Road Pig.

"Get here with the rig," commanded Zartan.

"You got it," said Road Pig as he put the rig in gear and drove straight at the FTC building.

**To be continued…**


	5. Going Hog Wild

**Going Hog Wild**

Road Pig drove the rig right up the curb and spun the wheel hard so that the cab and trailer slid right up against the front side of the FTC building. Zanya shot out the glass, and Buzzer kicked open the side door of the trailer. Zanzibar kicked his sled into gear and zoomed in right ahead of Buzzer, Torch, and Ripper. Road Pig, meanwhile, turned off the truck and followed the others inside.

"Zartan," said Gnawgahyde.

"If it isn't important I don't want to hear it," said Zartan in return.

"Well, then you definitely want to hear it," said Gnawgahyde. "Three police cruisers are on their way."

"Lights on?"

"Yup."

"Definitely for us?"

"Sure looks that way. What do you want me to do?"

"If they prove to be for us, stall them," said Zartan. "Any way you choose to." Then he turned to Zanya and Zandar.

"No alarm was sounded, Brother," said Zandar.

"Maybe someone phoned in Road Pig's driving," suggested Zanya.

Zartan's chest plate burned and he turned to face the large Dreadnok.

"What?" asked Road Pig incredulously.

"If you are the cause of this distress," threatened Zartan. "Then you will be in distress."

"Father," scolded Zanya. "Blocking the front glass wall with the rig was your idea. Road Pig was just following your instructions."

Zartan flashed an angry glare at his daughter then turned back to face Road Pig. "Keep your eyes open for trouble, but do not act without permission first," he told him. Then he turned and walked away with Zandar.

Road Pig beamed with joy and picked up Zanya in a great big bear hug. Zanya smiled at his obvious thanks. When he was done, he set her down and went back to tend to the rig.

Gnawgahyde watched the police cruisers and readied his rifle. The lead cruiser began to slow to a halt as it got closer to Road Pig's rig. It spun to a stop as did the second cruiser. Gnawgahyde leveled his rifle and took three shots at the driver of the third cruiser. His shots all hit home, killing the driver. He smiled as the last cruiser collided with the two already stopped ones and flipped over and forward, igniting a fireball as it did. Gnawgahyde peered through his scope to look for survivors. There was only one, barely crawling to try and get free of the chaos. He smiled and put two rounds into the policeman's back. Then he scanned the area for more survivors, but found none. "The three police cruisers have been eliminated," he said over his headset.

"Good work," said Zartan. "Stay in position and inform me of any more intruders."

"Will do," said Gnawgahyde.

Monkeywrench blew a bubble with his gum and offered a piece to Thrasher. "Exciting, isn't it?" he asked Thrasher. "I hope they leave something for us."

"We'll 'ave plenty," said Thrasher.

"I hope that the new attachments work," says Monkeywrench.

"They better," says Thrasher.

Inside, the others were going room-by-room, floor-by-floor, taking out anyone they could find who wasn't another Dreadnok. When they were done, they headed up to the main laboratory floor to get at what they had come for.

"It's almost over now," said Zartan. "Easy money."

**To be continued…**


	6. Showdown

**Showdown**

"Zartan," said Gnawgahyde. "More police are beginning to show up."

"Hold your position for the fireworks," said Zartan. "Zarana, things are getting close. Hurry up!"

"Do you want it done quick?" retorted Zarana, who was trying to break into a vault on the 37th floor. "Or do you want it done right?"

"I want it done right quickly," said Zartan in a nasty tone. "Zandar, take Zanzibar and go watch the front with Road Pig."

"Right, Brother," said Zandar and motioned for Zanzibar to come with him.

"We're almost in now," said Zarana to Zartan over the link as Buzzer activated his chainsaw and began the final step of cutting into the vault.

"It's about time," said Zartan impatiently.

"Father?" said Zanya from where she was on lookout.

"Yes?" asked Zartan. "This better be important."

"When you said things you reserved the right to make things messy," she said. "You may get your wish."

Zartan's chest plate burned white at the news. "Damn it all hell," he seethed. "Brother, start making them think twice."

"Yes, Brother," replied Zandar. Without taking his eyes from the approaching police cars, he quietly loaded an arrow into his gun. Then he took a careful aim. One of the policemen had a bullhorn and looked like he was giving out orders to those around him. A good example, Zandar thought to himself. With controlled effort, he squeezed the trigger and let his arrow fly. It sped towards its target with a very low whistle and connected with the policeman in his side. He gasped for air for an instant before the arrowhead exploded inside of him, showering the other policemen with blood and body parts. Every officer dove for cover after seeing or experiencing that. "They're thinking now, Brother."

"Excellent," said Zartan.

Upstairs, Buzzer finished cutting into the vault and backed away to let Zarana at the contents inside. Carefully she withdrew a small box.

"All dis for only dat?" said a surprised Ripper.

"The chips in this box are worth in excess of 250 million dollars, you cretin," said Zarana.

"Blimey," said Torch. "And Cobra Commander is only paying us three million?"

"Cheap bastard," added Buzzer.

"Silence, fools!" ordered Zarana as she opened her pack. With careful deliberation, she placed the box in her pack and secured it inside to prevent movement so as to protect the chips. "Zartan, we're finished here."

"Perfect," said Zartan. "Okay, everyone, let's get out of here."

**To be continued…**


	7. Getting Out

**Getting Out**

"Time to go," said Zartan to all the other Dreadnoks. "Gnawgahyde, stay where you are until we are away. Then proceed to your pickup point."

"Righto," replied Gnawgahyde.

"Thrasher," continued Zartan. "You and Monkeywrench stay put until we need you."

"No worries, Zartan," said Thrasher. "Me an' Monkeybrains is gonna wait right 'ere."

Monkeywrench punched him in the arm at being called Monkeybrains. "Git," he said to Thrasher.

"Wanker," said Thrasher right back at him.

Zartan paced back and forth near the front where the rig was when Zarana and the others came out of the elevator. "It's about time," he said to his sister.

"Get stuffed!" hissed Zarana.

"Brother," said Zandar as he seemingly came out from nowhere. "The escape route is unguarded. If we do this correctly, then they'll never know that we've gone."

"Lead the way, Brother," said Zartan.

Zandar nodded his head and set off. Zarana went next, followed by Torch, Buzzer, and Ripper. Zartan and Zanya followed after that, while Zanzibar and Road Pig brought up the rear. Zandar led them to the service elevator and they took it to the basement. As soon as the doors opened they all heard a voice shout, "Freeze!"

With a scowl on his face, Zartan pushed the door close button on the elevator and glared at his brother. "I thought you said it was clear," he hissed. "Are you blind?"

"They weren't down here when I checked it last, brother," replied Zandar venomously. "Don't blame me for this."

"What we gonna do, Zartan?" asked Torch.

"Yeah!" chimed in Ripper. "'Ow we gonna get outta 'ere?"

"Spineless cretins," said Zanya as she rolled her eyes. "Father allow Road Pig and I to handle it."

Zartan gave her a cruel smile. "Of course, my daughter," he said to her. "I need someone competent to handle this mess."

The elevator reopened on the main level and everyone got out. Immediately Zanya and Road Pig headed back to the rig and got out a large box. Inside the box were a lot of guns that Zanya and Road Pig began arming themselves with. Then they returned to the freight elevator. "Wait for my signal, Father," Zanya said. "Then you may come down."

Zartan kissed his daughter on the forehead and gave her a quick hug. "Be careful and be quick," he said to her. "We haven't got much time left."

"I will, Father," she said as she got into the elevator.

"Don't worry, boss," said Road Pig as he entered the elevator behind her. "I won't let nuthin' happen to her."

Zartan said nothing as the door closed and began is descent towards the basement. "So you do have a soul," said Zarana.

"Bought and paid for a long time ago," said Zartan. "Keep an eye on the front."

Zarana nodded her head without saying anything and moved off towards the front with Buzzer, Torch, and Ripper while Zandar and Zanzibar stayed with Zartan back by the elevator.

Meanwhile, the elevator was nearing the basement…

**To be continued…**


	8. Dance of Death

**Dance of Death**

Zanya finished loading her guns and looked at Road Pig. "Are you ready for this?" she asked him seriously.

"You bet," replied the large Dreadnok as he hefted up the large machine gun he was carrying.

Zanya closed her eyes to focus her mind on the bloodbath that was about to ensue. "Don't get dead on me," she warned Road Pig. "Because if you do, I won't be very happy with you."

Road Pig smiled as the ding of the elevator sounded to signal that it had reached the basement. "Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, upstairs Zartan was pacing back and forth impatiently.

"Brother," said Zandar. "Do not worry for Zanya. She has never failed to accomplish a task for you. I do not think she shall start now."

"I think I'll check out da front wit da uddas," said Zanzibar when he realized the tender moment that Zartan and Zandar were having. Zartan ignored him and just continued to pace.

Up at the front, Ripper was watching the action. "Da coppas don't know wha' to do," he said to the others.

"Oy, Zarana?" asked Buzzer. "'Ow come Zanya and Road Pig get to 'ave all da fun?"

"Because, moron," replied Zarana. "They will get the job done. I don't think the same can be said for some of you others."

"OH!" said Torch. "Dat's not nice, Zarana! Dat hurts."

"The truth usually does," said Zarana. "Now shut up."

"Ay!" shouted Thrasher into his headset. "You all still there? What's the fucking hold up?"

"We're waiting for Zanya to work some 11th Hour magic," said Zarana. "Just sit tight and keep waiting."

"I hate waiting," said Monkeywrench.

"Too damn bad," hissed Zarana. "If you don't like it, talk to Zartan about it."

"I'll wait," said Monkeywrench.

"I figured you would," said Zarana with a smile. "Don't worry, the carnage will start soon enough."

Zanzibar walked up and looked at Zarana. "Things by the lift were gettin' too serious," he said. "Any damage I can do?"

"Hold on," said Zarana. "Let me ask. Brother, can we play while Zanya clears the way?"

Zartan let out a frustrated sigh. "Very well," he said. "IF you must."

"Oh," began Zanzibar when he heard Zartan's reply on his headset. "We must. We must indeed."

Zartan muted his headset and looked at his brother. "Maybe fortune will smile on me," he said to him. "And they will all get themselves killed."

"Don't wish too strongly for that, brother," said Zandar. "They do have their uses."

"Name them," said Zartan with a wry smile.

Zandar looked contemplative for an instant. "I will have to get back to you on that," he said with an equally wry smile. The both of them laughed and were grateful for the relief of tension.

Zanzibar moved over to his sled and removed a remote control device from the back. "Dis is where watching Battle Bots pays off," he said. Then he pulled out a second remote and attached it to the bottom of the first.

"Oy!" said Torch. "Isn't dat my Game Boy?"

"And?" asked Zanzibar as he flipped a switch on the first remote.

"But dat's my Game Boy!" whined Torch.

"Well," said Zanzibar. "You weren't using it when I built this thing."

"Dat's not right," said Torch. "Dat's really not right."

"Oh well!" said Zanzibar as the sled's engines roared to life and the sled lifted off of the ground. "Time ta play!"

Zanya set her guns to full-auto and winked at Road Pig. "Let's play!" she said as the doors opened. Instantly they were both covered by infrared targeting lights.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads!" ordered one of the policemen.

"No," replied Zanya.

"Please," said the officer. "Drop your weapons and we promise you won't get hurt."

"No," said Zanya again. "Drop your weapons and we will let you live!"

With that she dove out of the elevator and behind cover as Road Pig opened fire with his machine gun. The police took cover and Zanya set into motion. Popping up from behind her cover, she opened fire with both of her pistols and sprayed bullets in a wide arc. When she finished her initial burst of fire, she crossed in front of Road Pig under the bullets he was firing. A few policemen tried to take shots at her, but as soon as they presented even the slightest portion of themselves Zanya shot them.

Eventually, Road Pig ran out of ammunition and paused inside the elevator to reload while Zanya moved towards the policemen. They were in a disoriented mess and Zanya was able to take full advantage of the fact. Without mercy she continued to shoot down any policeman who caught her eye until the police had no choice but to fall back outside the room. Road Pig finally finished reloading his weapon moments later and turned his weapon to where he thought the policemen were, only to find Zanya alone in the room casually reloading her guns. "You didn't save any for me?" he asked dejectedly.

"You didn't reload fast enough," said Zanya with a smile. "What was I supposed to do?"

Road Pig didn't say anything, but instead just picked her up in a great big bear hug.

Upstairs, Zanzibar's sled moved out of the building and hovered level with the police cruisers on the street. One of the policemen shouted something incoherent into his bullhorn and all the assembled Dreadnoks just smirked. "Gonna make their lives short, ya?" said Zanzibar as he looked into the second control unit and pressed a button. Instantly outside the guns on the sled fired off a blistering barrage at the policemen. Zanzibar smiled and moved the control stick side-to-side while still firing, causing the sled to fire in a wide sweeping arc. A few people, both civilian and not, were subsequently mowed down. "Messy, messy!"

Gnawgahyde smiled at the distraction that was being caused and took aim again with his rifle. "They're gonna need another leader!" he said into the communicator as he squeezed off a round that hit the new cop in charge of the scene in the head. "Oops! Another one gone down to Hell!"

"We're missing out on the fun," said Thrasher. "This sucks."

"Our time is coming," reassured Monkeywrench. "Just wait."

"I hate waiting," said Thrasher.

"Take it out on the cops then when the time comes," said Monkeywrench.

"I will," said Thrasher.

"Father," said Zanya once Road Pig set her down again.

"Yes, my daughter?" said Zartan.

"We have dealt with the policemen," she said. "It is safe to return."

"Very well," said Zartan. "All Dreadnoks, prepare to finally move out."

"It's about damn time," said Thrasher. "I was beginning to go stir-crazy."

Gnawgahyde packed up and headed downstairs to his rendezvous point. "I think we've done enough damage for one day," he said amusedly.

Torch, Buzzer, and Ripper moved out with Zarana back to where Zartan and Zandar were waiting for them. However, Torch quickly noticed that Zanzibar wasn't following them.

"Oy!" said Torch. "Zanzibar, we're leavin'!"

"Give me a moment," said Zanzibar as he stopped shooting at the policemen and moved the stick on the controller to move the sled up into the air. Then he aimed it downwards at the crowd of on-lookers. Pushing a different button, he launched the two small missiles on the sides of the sled right at them. Then he aimed the sled at the policemen and drove the sled straight down upon them, causing the sled to explode in a fireball when it crashed. "That oughta shake things up."

"Come on!" ordered Zarana. Zanzibar just smiled and hurried to catch up with the rest of them.

Downstairs, Zanya and Road Pig moved into the next room and finished off the remaining police inside. Once they were satisfied that all the police were dead, they moved over to a large crate. Road Pig grinned, set his gun down and pulled out a large crowbar. With several great grunts and groans, he managed to pry open the crate, revealing a getaway van. "My lady," he said to Zanya as he got into the driver's seat. "Our chariot awaits."

"Why thank you, kind sir," said Zanya with a mock posh accent and an exaggerated curtsey.

A few moments later, Zartan and the rest of the Dreadnoks arrived on the scene. "Blimey," said Buzzer.

"I know," said Zartan proudly.

"What a fucking mess!" said Ripper to finish Buzzer's thought.

"I know," said Zartan again.

"I'm glad those two are on our side," said Zarana.

"I know," said Zartan with a great big smile. "Come, let us be off."

As a single group they met up with Zanya and Road Pig and piled into the van. Once they were all in and seated, Road Pig jammed his foot on the accelerator, drove right through the garage door, and out into the street. Within moments, they were to Gnawgahyde and barely stopped to pick him up. Once he was inside, Road Pig again hit the accelerator and took off down the street. As soon as the police realized who it was in the van, they sent three cruisers after them.

"Thrasher," said Zarana into the communicator. "It's time in five…four…three…two…one. Now!"

"Whoo-Hoo!" shouted Thrasher as he ignited the turbine of the Thunder Machine and broke out of hiding, right behind the three pursuing cruisers.

"Eat lead, coppas!" said Monkeywrench as he fired the Thunder Machine's mini-guns at the cruisers. Within seconds, the three cruisers were shredded by the barrage of gunfire from the Thunder Machine. "Gotcha!"

Five more police cruisers joined in the pursuit and were quickly gaining on the Thunder Machine. "Did you and Torch get that surprise all worked out?" asked Thrasher.

"You bet!" said Monkeywrench.

"Then let's get rid of these annoying pests!" said Thrasher as he pulled up on his parking brake, turned the steering wheel hard, and spun the Thunder Machine 180-degrees to face the oncoming cruisers. As soon as he did so, he put the Thunder Machine into reverse and stomped on the accelerator to avoid a head-on collision with the lead cruiser.

"You drive like a fucking lunatic!" shouted Monkeywrench. "Bloody brilliant!"

"Are we close enough?" asked Thrasher.

"Yuppers," said Monkeywrench as he pushed a button on a control box on the dashboard. Instantly, two flame jets shot out of a pair of tanks that were mounted on the outside of the front wheels. The lead cruiser had no time to react and was instantly engulfed in flames. "Bugger me! It works!"

Thrasher continued to drive in reverse while Monkeywrench dealt with the remaining pursuing cruisers. Once the flame tanks were emptied, Monkeywrench pushed another button to eject them away from the Thunder Machine and resumed firing with the mini-guns. Less than a minute later, none of the cruisers remained in pursuit as they had either been demolished by the Thunder Machine or simply given up the chase. "Zartan," said Thrasher as he spun the Thunder Machine back about. "We're all clear."

"Excellent," said Zartan with a smile. "Now, let's all go home."

**To be continued…**


	9. Epilogue: Home, Sweet Home

**Epilogue: Home, Sweet Home**

The Dreadnoks were all in high spirits when they got back to camp. It was a successful mission and they were three million dollars richer than they were yesterday. Zartan looked across the faces of all the Dreadnoks and he was secretly amazed that all of them had come back alive. As he walked triumphantly towards his hut Zanya ran over to him and gave him a big hug. The Master of Disguise was surprised by her move at first, but soon settled down and lightly put his arms around her. "I am very proud of your work today," he said to her with a small, but genuine, smile.

"Thank you, Father," she said.

"I must go now and report our success to Cobra Commander," he said.

"Yes, Father," said Zanya as she let him go.

Zartan walked inside the hut and sat down in front of the communications screen. After sending a transmission code, Cobra Commander's face popped up on the screen. "Well done, Zartan," said Cobra Commander. "You certainly lived up to your threat and made things messy."

"Thank you, Cobra Commander," said Zartan, putting on a silver-tongued tone.

"I am surprised you didn't have to deal with G.I. Joe," said Cobra Commander.

"G.I. Joe isn't fast or good enough to deal with the Dreadnoks," said Zartan. "Shall I arrange to meet you in the usual spot so that you may pick up the chips?"

"Of course, Zartan," said Cobra Commander. "But first, I have another job for you to take a look at. Are you interested?"

"If the money's right," said Zartan with a smile as he leaned towards the screen. "The Dreadnoks are always interested."

**The end?**


End file.
